Chemistry Mnemonics

Chemistry Mnemonics

Learning Chemistry can often be tough especially for beginners. We have collected a list of chemistry Mnemonics to help you with learning Chemistry. Remember you can develop your own Chemistry Mnemonics or modify the ones we have provided to help you better learn Chemistry.

Chemistry is often a very difficult subject for many of us. It is not easy for all of us to comprehend the difficult topics and trends in chemistry. Chemistry Mnemonics tends to make these complex topics easier by providing different mnemonics to understand and remember difficult chemistry concepts.

Remember you can develop your own Chemistry Mnemonics or modify the ones we have provided to help you better learn Chemistry. Mnemonics are meant to help you remember long term and not just memorize for a test and forget about it. If you take the time to practice these mnemonics, they will help you build strong fundamentals of chemistry and build a lifetime understanding of some of the most important concepts of Chemistry.

Acids

Always remember!

Care must be take while diluting an acid. One should never add water to acid, as it will make the acid to splash out due to the excess heat produced and cause severe chemical burns. Rather, the acid should be added to water, slowly and with constant stirring, for diluting an acid. This can be remembered with the following mnemonics.

Always do things as you oughta

Add the acid to the water

If you think your life’s too placid

Add the water to the acid

Acid to Water; All is Well.

Water to Acid; What an Accident![1]

Cations and Anions

Cations are positively (+) charged ions while anions are negatively (-) charged. This can be remembered with the help of the following mnemonics.

Cats have paws ⇔ Cations are pawsitive.

Ca+ion: The letter t in cation looks like a + (plus) sign.

An anion is a negative ion. (Anegativeion ⇒ Anion)

Kathy is Positive , Annie is Negative( if you have friends with names similar to these, who are positive and negative)

Redox reactions

A redox reaction is a chemical reaction in which there is a change in oxidation state of atoms participating in the reaction.

Ions

An atom (or ion) whose oxidation number increases in a redox reaction is said to be oxidized (and is called a reducing agent). It is accomplished by loss of one or more electrons. The atom whose oxidation number decreases gains (receives) one or more electrons and is said to be reduced. This relation can be remembered by the following mnemonics.

Leo says Ger! or Leo the lion, Ger! can be used to represent Loss of electron is oxidation; Gain of electron isreduction.

Oil Rig: Oxidation is loss; Reduction is gain (of electrons).

Electrodes

An electrode in which oxidation takes place is called an anode while in that which reduction takes place is called cathode. This applies for both electrolytic and electrochemical cells, though the charge on them reverses. The red cat and an ox mnemonics are useful to remember the same.

Red cat: Reduction at cathode

An ox: Anode for oxidation

The words oxidation and anode, both begin with vovels.

Also, both reduction and cathode begin with consonants.

−ate ions

Sulfate Phosphate Carbonate Chlorate Bromate Iodate Nitrate

Super Popeye Constantly Clubbed Brutus In Nevada[10]

Nitrate Bromate Carbonate Iodate Chlorate Chromate Sulfate Phosphate

Nick Brit the Camel ate an Inky Clam with Creams for Supper in Phoenix

Number of consonants denotes number of oxygens. Number of vowels denotes negative charge quantity.